BYU Football Bye Week—Kalani Sitake Media Availability

Opening statement
It was a great weekend. We’re happy about the win. After watching the film, we know of some areas of improvement to make. I’m really excited about and really proud of the fight of our players for the fight that they have in them. We knew going into this season that it was going to be a battle every week, especially in conference play. That’s been proven. We’ve been through the trenches before. We are sitting in a really good spot right now going into the bye-week. Proud of the team and the coaches. When looking at the Big 12 conference, large leads aren’t safe. A lot of games are coming down to the wire. It’s part of it. We have to be ready to battle every single week. These guys are committed to doing that. We are really excited to get some time to work on our deficiencies. A lot of positive things to work on.

It’s a loaded week of work for us, but the only difference is we aren’t playing in a game. We will have physical practices. We are looking to develop some of our young players. We should have some injured players ready by the TCU game. I am feeling really good about the status of our team and the mindset of our players. game. I am really proud of our fans too. Our fans are awesome and I’m glad the ROC gets shown on the national stage. Whether it’s here or on the road, they always represent. I hope they know how much we love and appreciate them. We will get ready to roll by the time we head out to Fort Worth.

On having everything come together in a game
I don’t think seeking a perfect game is ever going to happen in football. I’d like to see it and that’s what we are striving for. The commitment to doing that is one thing. It’s not just in the game. There are a ton of small things to go into play for that to happen. We have players improving their IQ even if they don’t get reps during the game. As we look forward to practicing this week, there could be some interesting battles for competition and playing time.

On status of teams in the Big 12
I watched a lot of the [Big 12] games, especially since we played Friday. I also watched General Conference and some NFL football. It was a great weekend. In terms of the Big 12, it’s a battle. It was that way before we got into the conference. Everybody is playing like they have a chance to get to the Championship game, which they do. Everyone is controlling their own destiny right now. There are great coaches and great talent across the conference. Everybody has a chance. I want to make sure that we have a chance too. That is my job to play at that standard.

On players who have been surprises this season
Not a lot of surprises. We’ve been around long enough to know that we have a lot of talent. We told you all about LJ Martin before we he was doing what he has been doing in the season so far. As coaches we need to find ways to use all the talent to the best of our ability and their ability. It’s hard for me to say. It’s probably guys that fill in for injured players, but we knew that we had good depth too. I’m not surprised by the talent we have. I just know that when guys have the opportunity they are going to step up and make plays. We have a lot of players that we can count on to make plays.

On recruiting after moving to the Big 12
It’s been really helpful. More than anything, our recruits are mostly interested in our team and our culture. They are expressing interest in our program. They notice the energy our fans are bringing and the great reputation that they have. I have heard nothing but great reports from opposing schools about our fans. That stuff matters. It attracts recruits and positivity in our program. It’s a special place and we want more people to know about it. They have to know the ways we are unique at this university. They have to know we are attached to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how that can be beneficial to them. We hang on to those things and make them positive for us.

On the 2024 signing class
I think the hard part about forecasting recruits is the retention of guys coming and going. That’s what we adjust to. We have a good bulk of recruits that we have committed to BYU that we really like, but there are others that we can always add to it. It all depends on how much space we have and who is returning.

On former players succeeding in the NFL
It’s great for us. But that’s part of my job to realize that they can play at the next level. They can play at the next level in alignment with the things that we do at the university. We want to open up new treasures of talent they have, and that extends beyond football. We want them to be the best versions of themselves. I can’t wait to see them accomplish so many things. I want them to accomplish their dreams, and it’s not just football. The NFL is part of it. I want our players to know that you can come to BYU to improve spiritually, physically and mentally. 

On increased interest in Texas recruits
That’s always been really good for us to get interest from schools within the conference and it that area, Texas being one of them. We will recruit young men that want to be here, it doesn’t matter where they are from. We will always recruit guys that fit what we want to get done here. That fit the mission of the Church and this school. We have a diverse group of young men. There are great football players out there, but I want the great young men that complement the great football player.

On approaching the bye week
I think the bye week is really timely this year. Anywhere in that middle section of the season is nice. Now that we’re five games in, we’ve just the normal bumps and bruises, so you get a chance to heal from some of those. Maybe some more serious injuries for other guys, it’s a chance to get people back with a week off. For me personally, it’s a nice week to get my body right again and get a dumpster on TCU.

On the analysis of the run game
I think we definitely took a step forward in the Cincinnati game because that was the best D-line specifically and best front seven that we’ve played so far. I thought early in the game especially we were doing a really good job opening lanes and getting LJ the space he needed. We didn’t finish the game as we probably should’ve, but outside of the bad snap and then a few tackles for loss, we were just trying to milk the clock as best we could. We had a pretty good yards per carry when you take out those plays, so just need to finish better, but a lot to build on and improvement for sure.

On personal growth up to this point in the season
I think for me personally, a big focus now with a few seasons under my belt has definitely been the mental side of the game. That was the focus of my offseason, but I think the biggest growth has probably been just settling into my technique at a new position. I found out that I was playing right guard full-time about a week and a half before our first game, so settling into that and getting back into the groove of playing guard and I think I’ve been able to build on that every week.

On teammates that have been pleasant surprises this season
I think the obvious one is LJ [Martin]. He’s playing really well right now and he’s running hard. With LJ being a freshman, we didn’t know much about him, and with Aidan, we didn’t see him as much during training camp, but he’s done a great job for us.”

On seeing former BYU players succeed in the NFL
It’s awesome. Outside of football players, those guys are just my friends, so to see them be successful is a special thing. Zach played really well, obviously Luka played really well, Blake got his first start. It’s kind of funny, Blake had been my roommate for the last two and a half years and now all of a sudden he’s blocking Aaron Donald, it’s kind of surreal. I can’t wait to talk to him on the phone about it and see what that experience was like. It’s so much fun to watch those guys be successful. Puka has been doing it, we all knew was Puka was going to be like, but the rest of the world didn’t. For Zach to come out and play well with all the ridicule that he’s gotten was really awesome. So it’s a lot of fun to see those guys be successful, it makes you happy.

On the team at this point in the season
I think we’ve been timely in when we’ve played really well during the games. When we’ve needed it most, we’ve been there to pull through, with the exception really of Kansas. Other than that game, when we’ve really needed it in those crunch time moments, we’ve been able to come through in all three phases and really all five games this year. Obviously we need to work on being a little more consistent and playing a more complete game, but it’s hard to win in college football and in our first year in the Big 12, starting the season 4-1, I think that’s something we can be proud of even though there’s a whole list of things we need to get better at.

On the placement of the bye week
I think it’s going to be great, mainly just in the physical aspect of getting ready to go and play the next portion of our conference schedule. Whether you have little injuries, big or small, to be able to fix those and have a week to recover, the opportunity to do some self scout and try to find the best ways to improve, all that stuff is really beneficial. In the past it’s been a lot of guys getting banged up when you’re in your eighth-, ninth- or 10th-straight game, so this gibes us an opportunity to kind of jumpstart that recovery process a little bit.

On long snapper Austin Riggs
When I saw it was Austin who got the fumble recovery, I was just so happy for him, right place, right time. He has been a constant for us all season long, so for him to get that was really special.

Austin is a great snapper and one of the most personable guys you will ever meet. He will talk with you about anything and everything. He has put in the work, and he is someone we can always rely on.

On an early bye week
It’s different having a bye week so early in the season, so our legs and bodies will appreciate it a lot. I think it’s a good time to take a step back and analyze what we have done well so far and what we can improve on, and just move forward from there.

On how the special teams unit has improved to this point in the season
As a specialist unit, we have grown a lot. We had a lot of new faces coming into this season, and so I think everyone is getting comfortable with each other and getting a better feel for how we fit into this team as a whole.

On Cincinnati punter Mason Fletcher
It was fun getting to talk with Fletcher before the game because we have a bond as specialists. We know what each other goes through and how difficult the job can be, so we were just catching up and saying ‘hey, best of luck to you.’ He is a heck of a punter, so it’s always cool to have those moments.

Seeing BYU guys be successful in the NFL
It’s super cool to see guys who we shared a lot of great experiences with at the college level go on and be successful at the next level. Seeing Puka Nacua and Zach Wilson ball out this weekend was really awesome, and we have nothing but best wishes for our NFL guys.

On having a bye week
I think the most important thing about a bye week is getting guys healthy, making sure everyone feels good.

Analysis of team preparing for TCU
I think we need to be more consistent on our side of the ball. We do a lot of good things, so we need to keep that consistency throughout all four quarters.”

On what the defense has done well
We come out every week and just play hard. We run to the ball with a relentless pursuit, so that’s been consistent the last few weeks. We just need to clean-up a few things on the technical side of things.

On Harrison Taggart getting 10 tackles in first career start
He’s awesome, and we knew that going into the game because of how hard he prepares and practices. He is one of the hardest workers on the team, so it was awesome to see him go out there and perform so well.

On how the team has improved through the first six weeks
I think defensively, we have just progressed in our communication. I think the biggest thing is making sure we are all on the same page, and cleaning up the little things week to week.